From organizing your sewing room to adding a zipper to your project, below are tips and tricks that we find helpful and hope you do too!

Fabric

Extra Blocks?

Extra blocks make great gift boxes! Start by using a pattern that uses a square or rectangle as a base. We like the Bitsy Bag pattern from Ticklegrass Design.  So fun to make and a great way to use leftover quilt blocks. Perfect for practicing free motion quilting or straight line quilting too!

Leftover Fabric

When completing a quilt project, cut your remaining fabric into strips or squares and place them in plastic boxes by size. Consider taking it one step further and creating jelly rolls or charm squares of coordinating fabrics. That way, your strips or squares are pre-cut and ready for a future project.

Clear zippered plastic bags that come with certain purchases make great containers for your fabrics, quilting projects, and yarn.  Each bag can hold your project, pattern, and any other needed items. Further, you can easily see what is in the bag and grab it when needed.

Patterns

Organizing

 

Sewing

Sewing Accuracy

Take a minute to check your stitch width accuracy by sewing together three 2-1/2" strips. Once sewn, measure the center strip to confirm that it measures 2". If it does, you are good to go. If not, adjust the position of your fabric or your needle to ensure you have an accurate quarter inch seam. 

Know Your Seam Ripper

Did you know that that your seam ripper has a blade? The blade is located at the curve of your tool. With that in mind, when ripping out stitches, use the point of your seam ripper to get under the stitch then follow through with with an upward motion (away from your fabric) and the blade will cut the stitch beautifully while avoiding any harm to the fabric. It will make the task of removing stitches a much easier process. 

When using your domestic machine for quilting, keep the focus on your quilting by wrapping each end of your quilt in paper rolls, or pool noodles to keep them from getting in your quilting area.

Pressing

Marking with Stencils

Marking your quilt with stencils? Cosmetic sponges and chalk will do the trick! Dip the cosmetic sponge into quilters chalk and pat or rub over your stencil design. When you remove the stencil, the lines are visible for quilting.

Zipper Help

What Size Zipper to Buy?

Purchase a zipper that is longer than needed for your project as it will allow you to leave the zipper closed while stitching. Once the zipper is sewn in place just move the pull towards the center of the zipper, trim to size needed.  The zipper ends will be sewn in the seam.

Label Your Project

Use A Quilt Block

There are so many ways to label a quilt! How do you label your projects? Consider using the center of one of the quilt blocks in your project as your label.